The Herd

Well, I'm finally back to give you the sequel to my Shopping, Shopping, Shopping post. I finally decided to purchase a Hamilton Beach 4-quart crockpot. I had a 6-quart, but thought the smaller one would work better for certain dishes and certain occasions.

I ordered the crockpot on a Monday and had it by Thursday of the same week. I put it into use that weekend. I've used it several times since then and am very happy with it. It is just the right size to feed our family and not have too many leftovers. I also love the little gasket around the lid. Some dishes like to sputter as they cook and this prevents that. Oh, and it has clamps to hold the lid on if you want to transport the crockpot. It only has low, high, and keep warm settings. There is not an automatic timer, but I'm usually around to turn it down or off.

I'm still cruising around the CSN Stores sites to see what else I like. Right now, I have my eye on one of these upholstered headboards. I think that leather is a great decorating accessory for The Cow Queen.

I'll keep my eye on that one. For now, it is your turn to pick out what you like. The nice people at CSN Stores are going to give one lucky reader of the The Cow Queen, a $35 gift certificate to use at one of their more than 200 stores.

Here is how to enter: (leave a separate comment for each method of entry and make sure I have a way to contact you)

Just tell me you want to win

Go to CSN Stores and tell me one thing you'd get with your certificate

Follow The Cow Queen (or tell me you already do)

Post this giveaway on Facebook

Tweet about this giveaway

Tell me your favorite post from The Cow Queen(This is worth two entries -- leave a separate comment for each entry)

This giveaway will end Friday, November 5, 2010. The winner will be announced Saturday, November 6, 2010. I will used random number generator to select the winner.

Disclosure: CSN Stores sent me a gift certificate to try their site and review a product for them on that site. The review on this site was not required or affected by their generosity. CSN Stores is providing the giveaway prize offered above.

The prince and princess do not use the computer much. The prince still uses Read, Write, and Type and likes to play one other game. So, he wasn't going to be much help with this review. Prince Charming and I know that the day is coming when we will need some cyber-supervision and we decided that we would test this product and really put it through the paces.

The Queen’s Overall Assessment:

The PG Key is easy and simple to use and helps protect your children from internet dangers. The setup was simple: insert the PG Key into the USB port and follow on-screen prompts.

Now, that sounds simple enough. Mine didn't work that way. After almost an hour on the phone with customer support, we determined that the problem was on my end. The very nice support person said it was something in my virus protection program. So, after I removed and re-installed my virus checker everything was fine.

Here is how you can use the product:Time Lock: You (the administrator) can set when and for how long the product is used. I have ours set for a time limit on the children's user account. Prince Charming and I can still use ours whenever we want. Do you have a child who likes to sneak down after bedtime and play online games? Just take the PG Key out and they can not access the web.

Safe Search: You can enter websites that are "blocked" or those that are "allowed." Since I think it is easier to approve a few sites than to imagine all the ones to block, I went that route. A password has to be entered to access sites that are on the blocked list or not on the allowed list. When the prince and princess are older, I will change the settings to allow for web searches for research.

Alerts: You enter key words and/or phrases. When these words are used, you receive email or text messages letting you know. This does not block searches for those words, it just alerts you. So, a teen who searching for questionable information can still get that information. But, you will also have the reports to begin dialogue on whether or not you think it is appropriate.

Session Recorder: The program will make screen shots of what is viewed. This includes online sessions and even stuff on the word processor. This will be 60 hours of information before it begins to record over itself.

The problems that I was having with my initial set-up involved my anti-virus program. The PG Key was not blocking sites and was not sending me the email messages. Customer support was wonderful about trying to find the cause of the problem. When they saw that it was not related to their product, they sent me in the right direction to correct it. I appreciate that. Most calls to customer or technical support are very frustrating for me. This was not the case. It was actually an enjoyable conversation ... like talking to a friend. Since he asked that I call back and let them know how it works, I still have to return the call. This makes me think that they really care if and how their product works.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free kit with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

With elections quickly approaching, campain signs are e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. One day, Prince Charming's father was riding with us when he noticed that one of the signs he put up the previous day was missing. Since then, the prince has been on the look-out for other signs for that candidate. One day, he noticed the smaller print on the sign.

Prince: "Mama, what does 'U.S.' stand for?"

Me: "United States is one thing that it can stand for. (gramatically incorrect, but that's how we roll sometimes) Where did you see it?"

Prince: "On the (candidate name) sign."

Me: "Yes, it stands for United States. He is wants to be a United States Senator and help make the laws."

Prince: "Wow. That's a big responsibility."

Me (half chuckling): "Yes. Yes, it is."

And who says "wisdom comes with age."

I am The Cow Queen and I approved this message.

*****

This past week, we started reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie on t.v. and have the boxed set of books from my childhood. The prince has seen an episode or two.

I love the family-value stories from childhood that have been replaced with mindless drivel in books and t.v. When we read or view something that is not appropriate behavior, we talk about how it is disrespectful or "not nice."

In the second chapter of Farmer Boy, Almanzo is told to leave the pie alone, or he will spoil his supper. Almanzo didn't think that made any sense. Then came the line:

"But of course, he could not say this to Mother; he had to obey her without a word."

Just then, the phone rang. As I went to answer it, I said (sarcastically), "Gee. Imagine that. Obeying without a word." (something we have been working on). Then, the prince said, "Mama, that was back in the old days." Oh, yeah?

I'm linking to Tiny Talk Tuesday so you can see what other cute things the children are saying.The grass is green. It’s good to be

More than likely you know from where babies come. I got a whole new perspective during a conversation with the princess.

I was piddlin' in the kitchen, half-way prepping to make cinnamon rolls to take to our church Harvest Festival the next day. The princess came over, sat at the table, and held a board book that she found earlier in the day. It was a small book of colors that featured small children on each page. Then, she said,

"Mama when you want to have a baby you go to the hospital because that is where pregnant ladies go to have a baby and they put the baby in a thing that looks like a fish tank but it doesn't have any water in it because the water is in a bottle for the baby to drink and sometimes it has a straw in it so the baby can go 'slurp' and get a drink when it wants to ..."

(I apologize for not using punctuation, but I don't think she used any! --- Come to think of, I guess it wasn't really a conversation either.)

*******

The next day, I had just finished mixing the cream cheese frosting for the cinnamon rolls, when the princess asked if she could lick the beater. I said she could. As I tried to scrape most of the frosting off the beater, she said, "I can lick it off faster." She's such a good helper.

I'm linking to Tiny Talk Tuesday so you can see what other cute things the children are saying.The grass is green. It’s good to be

I was never good at sports. I'm just not the athletic type. I don't even like watching sports. Well, Very Blessed Mamma over at Training Children Up For Christ tagged me. Now, I have been sucked in to a game of cyber-tag.

Here's how it works. I answer 8 questions and then tag 8 others and ask them 8 questions as well.

Here are the questions that I am to answer:
1. Why do you homeschool? When it was time for the prince to start Kindergarten, we didn't think he was ready. Compulsory age in our state is 7, so we decided to keep him at home and see how homeschooling would go. He had also been to speech therapy at the public school he was to attend. I was not happy with the level of security that I found there.

2. How do you make time for reading the scripture? Unfortunately, I don't find a lot of quiet time to spend in reading scripture. We use a bible-based curriculum, and I get a chance for discussion and reflection from that. I also joined First Place 4 Health through our church. It is a bible study weight loss class that meets once per week.

3. What is your favorite subject to teach to your children? I love reading with them. I don't love all the complexities of our language, but love helping them find joy in a book. Their imaginations can take off from there.

5. Do you have a home business? I guess you could say we have two home businesses. We have a service industry that puts Prince Charming on the road a lot. We also have a farm from which we sell 100% Grass-fed Beef and U-Pick Strawberries.

6. How do you incorporate family bible time? We use a bible-based curriculum. I like to include Prince Charming when we can, but mostly this is during school time. We use a bedtime devotional that the children love. We also discuss "what would Jesus do" when a situation arises that needs biblical direction.

7. Do you have a specific verse that you hold to for your home or homeschool? There is not one specific to our homeschool. For our home, there are probably many. We try to raise our children to be good Christians and good Americans.

8. What is your favorite thing to do as a family? Believe it or not, farm. During the summer, we like to go to the corner store (about 5 miles away) to get a cold drink and a snack. We, then, just drive around the farm looking at the cattle and the grass that they need to grow. The prince actually learned to count, by counting cows to make sure they were all there. The prince's favorite outside time is when he can help Prince Charming "do stuff."

See, I told you I wasn't good at sports. This game of tag has taken me 5 days to do, and I still feel like I didn't make it worth the price of admission. Let's see if the folks I tagged can pick up the game.

This is a 2-3 week unit study on maps. Students learn to read maps and draw maps. The lesson are integrated with Math, Language Arts, Bible, and Geography. The map lessons suggest purchasing additional workbooks, but lessons can be done without them. A section at the end provides additional lessons for older students.

The Queen’s Overall Assessment:

The unit is directed towards multiple ages. Since the prince is 7, I base my assessment on that age.

We used the program without the supplemental workbooks. We found the lessons to be a good foundation for map reading. We learned about directions of north, south, east, and west. We learned to read a compass and a map. We drew our own maps and learned that details are important. Along the way, we practiced handwriting, dictionary skills, reading, measuring, calculating, graphing, and reading. Fun crafts re-inforced the lessons learned.

Other Homeschool Crew members reviewed this item. Some members reviewed other items by this same publisher. Be sure to check out the other reviews at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free download with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

As a parent, you anticipate the day that your child will enjoy reading and writing. Sometimes it is a struggle to get them to try, and sometimes it is a struggle for them to learn. You wait for the day that they can write something on the grocery list while you are busy. Then, you dread the day they can also read the "secrets" on the Christmas list.

You start to see spelling tests that look like this:

(I really tried to make this a full sheet. It has a great big smiley face drawn on it.)

Their confidence is boosted. They start to try more writing and reading on their own ... street signs, cereal boxes, anything and everything.

Soon afterwards, you are sitting in church. Everything is going great. The prince is enthralled in a search-a-word and other items in his "children's worship bag." Then, just as the pastor is starting his message, you get a note passed to you. The note reads:

Translation: "Can we go please"

Prince Charming said to "keep it forever." Now, there it is ... for all the world to see.

Title: Read, Write, and TypeVendor: Talking FingersTarget Ages: ages 6-9Format: On-LinePrice: begins at $35 for a home program single user, additional users and school options available

Disguised as a video game, this program teaches reading, writing, and typing all at the same time. The student is battling "Vexor" -- a virus within the program's fantasy land. He is trying to steal the letters from their homes on the keyboard. The letters represent the characters of a story. If Vexor steals the characters, there will be no story. As the student helps to get the letters away from Vexor, he is learning where letters belong on the keyboard and what sounds they make. As the student saves more and more letters, he is able to read and write more words.

The Queen’s Overall Assessment:We loved this program! The prince had been asking to learn to type. Since he isn't much of a gamer and hasn't had much computer experience, I thought this might be a challenge for him. He jumped right at it, and asked for more!

I think that his reading fluency has improved. I like that the program refers to the letters by their sound and not their letter name. This helps the student learn to reach for the sound that he needs to spell the word. At one point, I had to step away. When I came back, the prince had accumulated two letters for E. I asked why and he said, "because it says 'EEEE' and 'EH'."

There is instant feedback for the student. If the program asks him to spell a word and it is misspelled, it gives another chance to spell it correctly before moving on. If he needs the word repeated, there is an icon to click on for the pronouciation of the word. So, if little sister is making too much noise to hear it the first time, all is not lost.

There is also feedback for the parent and/or teacher. The administrative section gives scores for different categories of learning.

See a free demo of the Read, Write, and Type program here. Scroll down on that page for a 20% discount offer.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received free access to the site with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

I have only been blogging since March of this year. That's not a long time in the great world of blogging. I know that I have a lot to learn. However, one thing that I have learned already is that this is my forum. I can pretty much do what I want, say what I want, promote what I want, or brag about what I want. So, that is what I will do today.

See this girl:

Well, she's not a girl anymore! She's still a "she", but she is all grown-up now. In this picture, she's in second grade. Now, she's a second grade public school teacher. But, she's not just any second grade public school teacher. She's Emily, she's my niece, and she was just chosen as Teacher of the Year at her elementary school. How cool is that!!!!????

Emily has her own blog at Well, Shut My Mouth. Go there to read about her experiences as a second grade teacher. She has some cute stories about her students and her interactions with them.

This review is for Digital Frog International's Digital Frog Series. The series includes tours of Wetland, Rainforest, and Desert ecosystems.

We had a hard time getting started on this review. At first, I loaded it onto my hard drive. When we sat down to start with it, a friend called and invited the prince to go on a hike to the river. Now, what 7-year-old all-boy boy do you know who would sit and watch an educational video when he could go explore the real thing?

When we got it out again, I was having trouble getting it started on a new computer. This time, I just wanted to play the DVD through my computer. I took a chance and called customer support on a Saturday. I was actually able to talk to someone! I don't know if they usually work on Saturday, but the lady said she works from home and happened to be near the phone. She helped me through my difficulties, and we were back in business. Now, since I was on a new laptop instead of my desktop, I thought I would try to check the DVD out before inviting the prince and princess over. Well, that didn't work. When they heard the first sounds, they came right on over. (Note to self: buy earphones.)

I'm glad that I chose to play it from the DVD this time. There was a lot of supplemental information on the DVD that I didn't see when I loaded it to the hard drive. There was a teacher guide, field guide, and study guide.

Additional information, including teacher resources, curriculum standards, photos and outside weblinks can be found on The Digital Frog website.

The Queen’s Overall Assessment:The DVD is directed towards multiple ages. Since the prince is 7 and the princess is 4, I base my assessment on those ages.

When I first started the DVD, I heard the sounds of the ecosystem and thought it would have a voice-over tour for each trip. It did not. There was a lot of text for the student to read or have read to them. This meant that I had to be seated with the prince for the tour. If the prince and I are engrossed in something, that means the princess will be in the thick of it. That makes it very hard to follow the video. (Maybe that is just us!)

The text introduced a lot of new words and concepts that I thought were beyond a K - 3 vocabulary. For words that may be unfamiliar, a reader could "click" on the word and a definition window would pop up. It just seemed that there were a lot of new "big" words strung together. Trying to keep them all straight while trying to learn about the ecosystem can get confusing. I thought that a grade level of 5-7 may be more appropriate.

My favorite part of the field trip was the trail to follow that included 360-degree view capabilities. You could zoom in or zoom out too. Certain words in the text were highlighted and clickable. So, if you wanted to see what the cactus looks like on the desert field trip, you click on the word and the 360 swirled around to show you the cactus.

At the end of the trip, you can use your new-found knowledge to build your own rainforest, desert, or wetland. That sounds so much better than a test.

While I initially thought the price tag was a little high, I see that it is a one-time fee. It is not a license that has to be renewed every year. You could use it over and over with many students. It didn't work too well for us this year, but I think it will be great in a few years.

I would caution you to review the material before viewing with the student. There is discussion of mating rituals. The prince is a farm kid and knows from which part of the cow's anatomy a calf exits. However, I was not ready to discuss some other aspects of procreation.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free DVD with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.